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Virus and Other Threats Destroy Computer Data in Vietnam

The Back Khoa Internet Security Center (BKIS) reported in July 2007 that viruses destroying data attacked over 50,000 PCs in Vietnam.

According to BKIS statistics for July 2007, virus infected a total number of 3,583,000 computers. Further there were 432 new viruses in July 2007. Virus penetration into computers averaged at 14.4 per day, a reasonably high rate.

The most virulent virus that spread in the heart of Vietnam was W32.WinibA.Worm, which infected nearly 175,202 PCs in July 2007 alone. In the middle of the month, BKIS received a number of reports from monetary and financial institutions conveying that spam data destroyed or replaced their data files SQL and FoxPro. The reason behind this development was the virus, W32.Ukuran.Worm, according to a BKIS official.

When the W32.Ukuran.Worm attacks, some folders may seem to disappear. But in reality they become hidden, not erased, said Nguyen Tu Quang, General Director of BKIS. Vnagency published this in news on August 4, 2007.

BKIS also reported that nearly 14 percent of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) subscribers in the country are vulnerable to hacking because they haven't as yet reset the well-known administration account information on their modems.

BKIS findings explained that subscribers who continued to use the modem's default username and password that the manufacturers of the modems set were at risk of unauthorized infiltration into their computers by illegal hackers. The modem acts like the PC's gateway to the Internet, therefore if hackers find out the modem's default username and password, which is not difficult, they would commit theft of personal and confidential information and even other data, plant computer viruses, and monitor to gain control over the computer.

According to BKIS' research, an estimated 1,400 of almost 10,000 subscribers of three major ISPs - Viettel, FPT and VDC have not changed their account information. According to Quang, there could be more such subscribers, as their survey was very basic.

Just due to this reason, the various security threats relating to viruses, worms and hackers are spreading rapidly. People should make sure that their computers are updated to the most recent anti-virus software, Quang suggested.